Steam-table pan



June 10, 1930. F. P. LAMBERT STEAM TABLE PAN Fild. Oct. 14, 1929 INVENTOR. BY W ZRNEY Patented June 10, 1930 means unireo STATES FRANK 1. LAMBERT, or OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA STEAM-TABLE PAN Application filed October 14, 1929.

The invention relates to a serving pan for use at a steam-table.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved steam-table pan having separate compartments for containing foods to be served in association.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a serving-pan structure means for entirely supporting'thereon a food-serving tool with its handle in a convenient and extended position for grasping by a server.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pan of the class described which is arranged for nesting with like pans whereby a plurality of the pans may occupy a minimum of space when not in use.

Yet another object is to bring about a new combination and correlation of parts in a pan of the class described whereby marked economies in manufacture will be affected and the use of the pan will be facilitated.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth or be apparent in the following description of a pre ferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of a pan embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a reduced and fragmentary plan view showing pans embodying the invention mounted on a steam-table top and containing both food and food-serving tools.

Figures 3 and 4 are sectional elevations taken respectively at 33 and 4li in Figure 2. i

Figure 5 is'an elevation showing a plurality of the pans assembled in nested relation.

in cafeterias and the like where food is viewed by a customer before serving, it is,

of course, highly desirable that the appearance of the food and its surroundings be of ing table. For associating such food com- Serial No. 399,420.

binations as corned beef and cabbage, roast meats and dressings or gravies, pot roast and noodles, etc, for serving from the usual single-compartment steam-table pans, it has heretofore been a general practice to place the different foods of a said combination at opposite ends of the same pan whereby, after a few helpings are served, the foods become more or less mixed to produce an unsavory appearance thereof. T he latter diiiiculty, it is noted, is particularly met with in serving foods which must be kept hot at a steam-table or the like wherein each pan must be retained in a fixed place on the table, and it is to an improved serving pan for steam-table use under the above and other conditions that the present invention particularly relates,

Referring to the drawings, the features of the present invention are incorporated in the structure of a pan 6 of rectangular outline and having a rim 7 extending completely around its edge for engaging a steam table top 8 to support the pan in depending position through an opening 9 in the top. As shown, the rim 7 is fiat'and is arranged to so engage the top 8 as to prevent the escape of steam or vapors through the joint thereat. To facilitate the handling of the pan in placing it in, or removing it from, the table top, the pan is provided with upwardly extending handles 11 at opposite ends thereof.

It will now be noted that the pan 6 is preferably formed as a one-piece structure having the parts thereof of uniform thickness whereby it may be stamped from sheet metal, and will be of minimum weight for its size. Aluminum is a preferred material for the pan, it being noted that the pan might, if preferred, be produced as a onepiece casting.

To adapt the pan for the desired separation of associated foods therein, the pan is preferably shaped to provide compartments or receptacles 12 and 13 extending longitudinally of the pan, a partition i l in the general form of an inverted U d1v1d1ng the pan to provide the aforesald compartments therein Generally,'the relative quantities of foods to be served together from the two compartments will difi'er, and it is therefore preferred to form the compartments to have different capacities. By way. of an example and as indicated in Figures 2, 3 and 4, meat cuts 15 may be disposed in the larger coinpartment 12 while a liquid. gravy 16 or other" garnish, is. disposed in the compartment 1?). In this manner, the two associated foods are provided in the proper serving proportion therefor and a most eflieient use of the available space is provided for.

In the present embodiment, the handles 11 are also utilized for at least a partial support of serving tools such as the fork 17 and spoon 18 shown in Figures 2 to 4: inclusive.

Preferably, and as shown, the handles 11 are generally fiat and are provided with hand holes 19. Concave notches 21 are provided in the top edges of the handles for supportedly retaining the handle ends of .the serving tools in raised position, while the food-engaging portions of the tools rest in a pan compartment; As particularly shown, the handles 11 are adjacent diagonally opposite pan corners whereby they are "opposite the different pan compartments: and the food-engaging servingetool portions rest in the food with which they are used, both of the tools extending longitudinally oi the pan. In this manner, the serving-tool han- Y dlesare arranged to be kept tree from the food and are at the sametiine disposed for ready grasping by aserverof the food. It it noted that the present arrangement of the handlesalso tends to effect an equalized distribution of weight on opposite sides of the I diagonal line of support provided by the handles, particularly when the foodjloads in '.the dili'erent compartments produce an un-' equal distribution oi food weight in the pan.

A further advantage in-the arrangement lies in the fact that the serving tools in :adjacent pans may not contact or interfere, the relation being particularly brought out in FiguresQ and 4.

Preferably, andasshown, the compartment cavities are smallest at their bottoms, and are of trapezoidalcross-section whereby the compartment sides areoblique to the general plane of the pair. The handles 11 are also oblique to the said .panplane and are generally parallel to:the compartment sides nearest thereto. In this manner, a pluralityof the pans is arranged for nesting in a; minimum space when the pans are not in use; this feature is brought out in Figure 5.

In this manner, the traysmay be loaded. while in astack thereof and a minimuniof kitchen space is required. The aforesaid structural feature also eliminates acute and right angled corners from the pans where- .tools engaged in the respective coinpart- 'lated with respect to the pan arranged connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and method of operation will be readily understood by those skilled'in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation, together with the device which I now consider to bathe best embodiment thereofll desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made, when desired, as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having. thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States the following:

1. A steam-table pan or" one-piece structure having a continuous supporting rim thereareund provided at itsouter edge with a plurality of upwardly. directed handle eX- tensions, said pan having sloping sides and; said extensions being parallel'to the cent pan sides whereby the pan is arranged for nested engagement .w hlike pans.

2. In a steam-table pan of one-piece struc ture' formed to provide a piuralityo'f recep tacles, a rim portion extending laterally from and er and the pan top asa supporting means i'cr the pan, and a handle extending upwardly from the outer edge 01 said portion resting in a said receptacle oi the pan.

o. In a steam-table pan formed apair of food compartments for the respective reception of a food and garnish for the food, a pan supporting riniencircling said compartments and integral with the pan structuraantla handleextending rig-1.33 idly from said rim and having. a notch vat the upper side thereof for the retaining support of the handle of a food-serving tool having its foodengaging portion resting in a said compartment. 7 I 33110 4; A steam-table pan of one-piece struc ture formed to provide a pair of parallelly related receptacles extending longitudinally of the pan, a rim portion extending laterally from and around the pan top as a. support-21 ing means for the pan, and upwardly directed extensions of said run portion opposite ends of the dilierent compartments pro- 7 viding rests tor the handles of food-serving merits, saidextensions being diagonally rei for oint use in carrying the pan. g In testimony whereof, I ailii; iny signature. v a

by the pans may be kept clean and sanitary with particular readiness.

From the foregoing description tahen in to provide: 13 0 FRANK? LAMBERT. l 

